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Good morning, readers. Welcome to the Maven's Morning Coffee -- a listing of the important headlines, news conferences, public meetings and announcements you need to know to fuel up and tackle your day.
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Today is Friday, April 27, 2012, and here is what's happening in Los Angeles:

Headlines

The Metro Expo Line will open tomorrow, making it the first time in 50 years that Angelenos west of Western Avenue will have access to a public transit rail line, reports the Los Angeles Times. The light rail project is two years behind schedule and cost $290 million more than originally expected.

In an op-ed for the Daily Beast, Controller Wendy Greuel recalls the 1992 riots, back when she was an aide to then-Mayor Tom Bradley. "We could see palm trees on fire outside our office, and just blocks away protesters were outside the police department," Greuel writes.

Candidate Brian C. Johnson, running for the state Assembly, is being criticized for hiring lobbying firm Englander, Knabe & Allen to run his campaign, according to the Los Angeles Times. In a letter signed by community members supporting Johnson's opponent, Adrin Nazarian, Johnson is accused of being unduly influenced by his consultants. Nazarian is chief of staff to Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian.

The city of Los Angeles has installed no parking signs on Colfax Avenue in Studio City after vandals repeatedly painted over red curbs, according to the Daily News. Curbs at 4365 and 4249 Colfax Ave. have been painted over four times in the last six months.